Away v Barnet - Wednesday 25th March 2009 | |
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The young Shrimpers made the midweek trip to the Gosling Sports Centre in Welwyn Garden City for this rearranged clash on the back of a 5-2 victory over Aldershot Town but they were unable to recreate the attacking potency of that morning against an organised and determined Barnet side.
Ricky Duncan was unable to call upon injured duo Justin Hazell and Kyle Asante, although the recently released Jack Morris and Tashan Adeyinka did make the trip to Hertfordshire. Ade Osifuwa was restored to the starting line-up in place of Ricky Byrne, whilst Jamie Dennis replaced Hazell on the left-hand side of midfield.
The match began in scrappy fashion in blustery conditions, with the hosts content to play a direct style picking out the taller players in their side. Blues' first chance arrived on eleven minutes when Callum Whittaker's lofted pass was flicked on by Harry Crawford and Craig Calver's shot shaved the right-hand post.
Calver then set up Marcus Milner with a beautiful flicked pass from Dennis' square ball, although the winger could only stab wide of the upright from twelve yards out.
The deadlock was broken on 21 minutes when Southend put together the best move of the match. Merrick James-Lewis sensibly turned back as his path was blocked on the right flank, and he found Osifuwa. The right-back returned the compliment and, this time from a more central position, James-Lewis teed-up Crawford, whose shot sailed over the head of the Bees goalkeeper and into the net.
Unfortunately, the anxiety that had led to a number of over-hit passes and the concession of free-kicks continued to plague the visitors, even if they remained the team more likely to score.
Dennis saw his shot blocked bravely by the 'keeper and Crawford was denied as the Barnet number one smothered his follow-up. Forward Crawford also saw a stooping header deflected wide by a defender on 38 minutes, just before he had to be withdrawn with slight concussion sustained blocking a free-kick at close-range.
There were small indications that homesters could threaten: Osifuwa was caught out of position at full-back and Duran Reynolds had to head out a dangerous cross whilst a midfielder's driven effort was blasted wide from outside the penalty area.
The closest Blues came to adding a second goal to their precarious lead arrived ten minutes after half-time as an Osifuwa centre was nodded out to James-Lewis, who directed a rising shot over the crossbar.
Dennis' desperate flying intervention denied a forward an opportunity to beat Daniel Bentley one-on-one shortly after the hour mark and Bentley himself did just enough after racing off of his line to encourage an attacker to poke wide of the post from a lofted set-piece.
Stockport County second-year scholar Kyle Wilkie, a midfielder, was given a quarter-of-an-hour to try and impress and although he did attempt to get his foot on the ball, United remained under pressure.
With sixty seconds remaining, Barnet ensured that the Shrimpers would leave with just one point when they equalised from a corner. The flag-kick was swung in to the back-post, and a tall central defender was on hand to bundle the ball over the whitewash.
The goal marked an unsatisfactory end to the fixture, but it was no more than the home club deserved for their endeavours. Southend still hold the destiny of the championship in their own hands with their final home match, on April 4th, against rivals Queens Park Rangers, but first they must record a positive result on their travels to Peterborough United on Saturday.
Southend United U18s: Daniel Bentley; Adetayo Osifuwa, Callum Whittaker, Duran Reynolds, Jack Morris; Marcus Milner, Davis Abbey, Merrick James-Lewis, Jamie Dennis (Kyle Wilkie 77); Harry Crawford (Tashan Adeyinka 45+3), Craig Calver.
Subs not used: Medi Abalimba, John Owinja.
Goal: Crawford (21).